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Friday, July 19, 2013

Legendary road cyclist Sean Kelly to lead Bangkok to Phuket bike tour

Legendary pro cycling champion Sean Kelly will be leading a SpiceRoads Cycle Tour from Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand, January 31- February 7, 2014.

The special road bike tour is designed for cyclists who want to push themselves hard each day and at the same time have an opportunity to ride with one of the greats of professional cycling. Spending eight days with Kelly they will have intimate time with him to get training tips and to hear some of his tales of racing against Eddie Merckx, Greg LeMond, Laurent Fignon, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain at the European classics and Grand Tours.

Hailing from Ireland, Kelly was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classic riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193 professional races.

During his career he started in the Tour de France 15 times and wore the maillot vert on four occasions, won Paris-Nice seven years in a row and the first UCI World Cup in 1989. Kelly was a complete rider who could sprint, time-trial and climb with the best and raced hard during the entire racing calendar.

Retired from professional cycling since 1994, Kelly remains hugely involved in the sport, from his work as a TV commentator for Eurosport covering the Tour de France, to his formation of the Sean Kelly Cycling Team. Kelly is rightly regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen to ever come from Ireland.

On the Bangkok to Phuket tour cyclists will ride 700 km in six cycling days. Thegroup, which will be limited to 20 participants who have road riding experience, will ride along the east and the west coast of Thailand and overnight at resorts along the way, with afternoons free to enjoy the beach or the pool.

The tour starts in the Thai capital of Bangkok ends at Nai Yang beach on the resort island of Phuket. The Ride with Sean Kelly tour cost is US$2,750 and will be fully supported by air conditioned vehicles, with water, sports drinks and snacks provided during the ride. Riders can bring their own bikes, or rent a Trek 2.1C from SpiceRoads for US$200.